Adopting new tech can be daunting for any business, but virtual tours offer some very clear wins and demonstrate very compelling ROI’s across many sectors. The real estate industry is no exception.
In the USA and Australia, virtual tours are pretty widely used to showcase properties all over the country, with the tech gaining traction with UK estate agents steadily over time.
For Estate Agents looking to offer their customers virtual tours as part of the sales package, there are some very persuasive motivations.
Financial gains
You might find the cost of 3D and 360 virtual tours surprisingly affordable (particularly if you’re able to shoot multiple property tours in the same area on the same day), making offsetting the cost nowhere near as tricky as you might think. For a property vendor, the cost will often pale in significance against the convenience of not having to clean and vacate their home for repeat in-person viewings throughout the sale process. Virtual tour packages can also include high resolution photos and 360 images, negating the need for your traditional property photographer.
Time efficiency
Properties, particularly in popular or highly sought after areas of town can attract huge interest – resulting in you taking numerous phone calls and journeys too and from the property for in person visits. Both can be hugely time consuming and not all are genuine viewers. A virtual tour offers you the opportunity ensure that your viewers are serious with a simple ‘Have you seen the virtual tour?’ before you secure the in-person viewing.
Streamline your sales journey
With the addition of platforms like Openhouse Live, your virtual house tour just became a totally streamlined sales tool. With the ability to tour multiple properties with your customer at the click of a button, narrate your way through each tour in your usual way, or allow your buyers to explore the house, flat or apartment independently, while being on hand to answer any questions, it’s as close to in-person as you can get. Only way more convenient. With Facebook messenger, video chat, audible information points and more, you can see the sale through from initial enquiry to completion in one place.
Stand out from the crowd
When showcasing a premium property. You really need to provide the ‘wow factor’ and sometimes still photos just don’t cut it. A 360 virtual tour will give your real estate business the competitive edge as you impress your customer not only with your stunning property portfolio but the great technology you use to showcase it.
Convenience
The convenience of using virtual tours to showcase both residential and commercial properties on your books is threefold. For you as an Estate Agent, there’s the benefit of not having to leave your desk – ideal if your staffing resource is thin on the ground. For the property owner, you’re reducing the need for them to clean and vacate their home on a regular basis until you find a serious buyer. For the buyer, who may be relocating some distance, or have a busy work / life schedule there’s the ease of being able to view any property in perfect detail, from anywhere in the world.
Floor plans, 3D tours and photography pack all in one
With virtual tour platforms such as Matterport including a range of views including floor plans, dolls house (3d model) and walk through, all created with laser precision and a range of handy tools, your property listing survey just became a hell of a lot easier. Plus the tape measure tool means that your customer can plan their room layout and new fixtures and fittings with confidence.
Remove the obstacle of geography
Whether your customer is in the next county, at the other end of the country or the other side of the world, the ability for them to ‘walk around’ a property virtually is a clear win. Negating the need for diary synchronisation and extensive travel arrangements and reducing wasted time are all answers to any property agent’s prayers.
Increase your website traffic
Using leading technology such as immersive 360 virtual tours and 3D walkthrough tours can result in a huge increase in traffic to your website as the inquisitive among your audience find them hard to resist. Their ease of share-ability on social media makes them even more prolific when it comes to driving traffic to your site. This will only serve to make you more attractive to new clients and help you achieve more sales.
Hike those likes
360 images are a great asset for your Facebook feed – catching the attention of even the most discerning ‘window shopper’. Not to mention that a stunning 3D virtual property tour itself has the potential to go viral.
Get more backlinks
Every time someone views or shares one of your virtual tours online, your business website gains a valuable backlink, encouraging it to rank higher in search engine listings and making your business even more visible to potential customers than before.